Core i5 3570K processor review -
Introduction

Intel Core i5 3570K revisited - overclocked and charted

It was merely less then a year ago Intel Ivy bridge processors had been released. Over time one of the more popular processors of the entire series has become the Core i5 3750K processor, it's powerful, way more affordable then a 3770K and overclockable to a certain extend if you know what you need to deal with.

Many moons ago we have shared performance of this processor with you already, but over time benchmarks have been updated repositioning the processor a tiny bit. Next to that we never gave the processor an actual stand-alone review and as such we never have been able to overclock it, hence to the quick reference reviews where we get processor samples for merely a few days.

Now we know a lot of people have a hard time overclocking these processors even over 4300 MHz, so as such these are all good reasons to retest this processor we say. So today a standalone review on the Ivy bridge architecture based Core i5 3570K where we'll learn you how to take it towards 4700 MHz as well. What is Ivy bridge ? Let me put it very simply, you take say a Sandy Bridge Core i7 2600/2700K processor, apply it to a smaller fabrication node (22nm), increase the Turbo a little, increase the graphics performance a little and bam... that's a Core i7 3770K processor. Performance wise Ivy Bridge series never did stun and shock like the Sandy Bridge series did once they where introduced. In fact clock for clock it is all roughly the very same, with a +0.8% performance offset in favor of Ivy Bridge.

However -- with Ivy Bridge comes fairly nice overclockability, the platform comes with native USB 3.0, we got PCIe Gen 3 for the fastest graphics cards and overall just is a really fast processor series. Ever since Sandy Bridge there has been another massive change inside the processor, integrated graphics processor cores working in symbiosis with the CPU, even sharing cache, embedded and harbored inside the processor. It all started with the Core i5 650, 660 and 661 processors but these CPUs had two little small chips on the processor die, literally. And that has changed as both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge have embedded IGPs. For Ivy Bridge the IGP has certainly gotten a good chunk faster, as they must compete with AMD's really excellent implementation. Next to that, the IGP is now DirectX 11 compatible as well.

Today of course we'll be reviewing Intel's Core i5 3570K processor. Why K versions you ask? Well, the default Ivy Bridge processors are much harder to overclock. With past-gen processors you pretty much took your base clock of 133 MHz and apply say a default multiplier of 25, that would be your 3.33 GHz processor. That base clock was capable of going so much higher, 150, 186 and when tweaked right, even over 200 MHz. The new technology however has an embedded GPU / video processor merged into the very same processor die running over the same bus sharing the same L3 cache memory, things get increasingly complicated in matters of tweaking. The 100 MHz baseclock of Ivy Bridge processors therefore is harder to tweak. And that is why Intel introduced the K series, it will offer you an unlocked multiplier which will allow you to go much, much higher.

All today's test benchmarks will carry overclocked test results with the 3570K processor running at a stable 4700 MHz.

Have a peek at what will be tested, and then let's head onwards to the next page.

Core i5 3570K processor reviewWe review the Core i5 3570K Ivy bridge processor. Will Ivy Bridge be the processor series everything you expected? Go find out in this extensive review here at Guru3D.

Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K reviewToday we test and review Sandy Bridge, the Intel Core i7-2600K and Intel Core i5-2500K processors. We will pair the 2600K processor with the Intel Desktop Motherboard DP67BG and also run a test with the Intel Core i5-2500K processor on a Intel DH67BL motherboard

Core i5 655K and Core i7 875K processor reviewIntel today releases two new processors targeted at a somewhat more enthusiast audience. Yes, processors for tweakers and overclockers. On socket LGA 1156 Intel now releases two K series processors. The 32nm Intel Core i5-655K processor has the very same specifications as the Core i5 650; it will operate at 3.2 GHz, will feature two cores with Hyper-Threading technology, sport 4MB of L3 cache and will be made using 32nm process technology. The difference between the 650 and 655K is the unlocked multiplier only. Then we have the enthusiast class Intel Core i7-875K processor, it has the very same specifications as the Core i7 870; it will operate at 2.93GHz, will feature four cores with Hyper-Threading technology, sport 8MB of L3 cache and will be made using 45nm process technology. The only difference between the two central processing units (CPUs) will be the unlocked multiplier on the 875K chip, which will allow overclockers and enthusiasts to easily boost clock-speed of the product without the necessity of overclocking other parts of their systems.

Core i5 650 - 660 and 661 processor reviewThe time has come for Intel to debut a new line of mainstream 32nm processors, which we have all learned to recognize under the codename 'Clarkdale', the new CPUs will be aimed at the mainstream desktop PC segment and will complement the chip maker's Core i3 and Core i5 line of products. The Intel processor lineup will include the Core i3 530 and 540 models, as well as the Core i5 650, 660, 661, and 670, which will be featured with Hyper-Threading, 4MB of L3 cache and support for dual-channel DDR3-1333 memory. Well, that and an integrated GPU as well of course. Guru3D will put the Core i5 650, 660 and 661 to the test.